Slade
by CoRpAsItE
Summary: Ignore the format. After failed attempts by the government to stop Umbrella, Umbrella has bought the entire country. They have waged wars, plagues, and poverty. A single mission can most likely end it all. R
1. Prolouge

Resident Evil: Slade  
Prologue Date: September 23, 2024. Time: 1256 hours.  
This will be my last report. As of September 17, the events of the spill have taken over two-thirds of my team, and seven-eighths of the other squads. I myself was bitten by one of the class 6 zombies. Their rotting bones and molten clothes overwhelmed us when the first waves began. It's just like they're organized; the slow, sluggish movements are only a diversion for the ones that are sneaking from the other angles. It's almost like they can tell where our attention is. One of the bastards got me when I was reloading, which I guess was three days ago, man it sucks at how fast these days go by. I already feel the effects of the virus beginning to take hold, the sluggishness of the mind as all simple thought fade and your complex thought immediately disappears. My mind is turning to slush at this very moment, every word I type is getting harder and harder, as though I'm turning into an infant. My senses are already on overload, the smell of blood thick where it was once distant. Anyone who reads this should know one thing, keep one eye on the enemy and the other watching your blind spots, they come from everywhere. They told us to beware of the BOWs, but they've been nonexistent thus far. Beware of the dark corners of the area, where you think nothing can hide, everything is. My mind is going from this report to the driving hunger for flesh and meat. I pray by the time you get here, I'll be sitting next to it with a bullet in my head, if not, don't tell my family what became of me.  
Final Report From Lt. Major Ashton Crawford.||  
"Damn, I regret finding you here, even though this is better than walking around as a cannibal. Take care, Lt. Major Crawford." The man drops the small hand-pad and picks up the ammo bag from the Lieutenant's carcass. He rummages through it and pockets the three clips for the AK- Special. This weapon is a combined version of a grenade launcher, shotgun, and machine gun. It's light, but kicks a lot of ass. "Humph, they say this can kill anything on four legs, I guess they never prepared for the monsters here." "Hey! Commander Piker! We got two stiffs out here you might want to look at!" Commander Rico Piker walks through the door to the small office building and notices the only other two members from his team poking at two bodies that are sprawled through each other. The moans of the undead filter through the crackle of burning wreckage and the distant thumps of some unknown monster. Piker holds his weapon close to his chest and jogs across the smoking and cracked asphalt. 'It's been two hours and already, three-thousand men and women slaughtered, all over some sick quest for the ultimate weapon.' He slides to a stop behind Kent Slater, the only male rookie in the whole platoon. "I think this is from a BOW." Piker bends down and rubs a hand over the jagged flesh, keeping one eye on the small puddle near the bodies, "Either that or these guys thought this was gay sex." Kent and Lieutenant Rogers, well, Kimberly Rogers, laugh slightly and Piker hands them the three clips, "That's all I could find in there, but it should be enough, three hundred HP rounds, seven 45mm grenades, and thirty-seven shells. I'd say that should raise our chances slightly, if not much." Rogers takes one and Slater takes the other two, giving his personal, really kick-ass grenades to Rogers. "A little concoction I made before we got assigned to this mission. 40mg of gunpowder, surrounded by thousands of 1mm bb's. Drop and run. Only instructions worth giving, don't bother counting to three, just toss and bust ass behind the nearest steel plate." Rogers takes them and places them on her utility belt. "Alright! The map that Lt. Major Crawford left behind says that a single subway train is still operational, just needs power coils. Those shouldn't be too hard to find." "Sure, like the ammo cache that you said was right near the landing sight." Piker eyes the rookie and says, "Let's get to it, I don't think we should have to face much trouble, considering that the first soldiers came from the way we're going." Rogers is already on her feet as the two guys search the bodies, coming up with nothing. Slater stands up and wipes the slight grime off of his combat pants and stretches, "I'd say it would be about a half hour walk from here. So, shall we?" Piker and Rogers nod and they jog off, leaving the two bodies where they are. 


	2. One

****

Chapter One

"Let's go! Let's go, let's go!!! The subway waits for no one! You get left behind, that's it!!" Men, women, and children scream and run toward the silver subway train. The motor kicks to life as the last of them pile in, the last three having to squeeze onto the connectors. "Get us the hell out of here!" The train begins to roll, but a loud screech and the crunch of metal signifies the abrupt end of the ride. The women and children scream as something tears from the back of the train to the front, some of the bodies flying through the slit in the roof. A loud roar rocks the train as blood coats the windows, some unknown entity munching down on the bodies inside. The two slits in the roof blow open further and a 'man' is standing on the roof, a long, skinny, tail-like thing slithers back into its head. The thing picks a body up and bites the head off, not even flinching at the sound of the skull crushing under the machine-like jaws. It licks the blood off of its fingers and throws its head back and lets a furious, full-stomached roar flow from its mouth. The thing looks toward the steps and blinks twice, aware of the sound of running food not far off. The thing jumps down and runs for the steps, each step like molasses, smooth and free-flowing. It takes the steps three-at-a-time and slides across the smoking asphalt, its massive feet carving long trenches into it.

"You all hear that?" Rogers and Slater nod and they raise their rifles, heeding the advice that Piker read from the report. "I don't want to believe this, but I think that was the subway train. See that smoke?" Piker's heart nearly stops at the sound, "It's nearly thirty-four miles any way to the city limits. I doubt any car in the city is drivable, and I think that in the panic, the people here started to riot, thus blowing up any source of fuel in the whole DAMNED city." Rogers looks at him and then stops suddenly. "What is it?" "Sh, I think there's someone watching us. See that tall cylinder? Watch, every couple of seconds, it disappears into the ground, then reappears every two seconds after that." Slater slowly steps up to them and whispers, "Who could be watching us? I thought there were no survivors." Piker nods and replies, "There shouldn't be any. The only people who should be here are we three. There could be survivors, but I highly doubt it." Rogers nods and says, "Let's go guys." Piker turns and takes one step forward, before falling face-first into a giant rut in the asphalt, "What the hell?" He picks himself up and follows the trail. "Hmm, five toe-like indentations, my God, this footprint has to be at least two-feet long!!" Slater and Rogers step next to him and nearly drop their jaws at the ten foot long rut. "It came from the subway, what ever it is. Anyone else smell smoke and gasoline?" The words are on their lips even before they're running down the stairs. The scene before them destroys all hope they had of escape. "Oh no." Slater looks at the train and nods, wincing as the searing heat bounces off their faces. Piker turns to them and says, "It's just a small engine fire, let's put it out before it gets near the gas..." Just as he says it, the fire explodes around the gas tank, sending pieces of metal and bodies flying toward them. Piker holds up a trashcan that was near them, crouching down as the flaming globs of gas flies over them. He drops the trashcan as it begins to melt, motioning for Slater to grab the fire extinguishers. Slater ducks behind the pillar and then dives for the ticket booth, just as a door comes flying at him. Piker nods at Rogers and she follows, diving under the door as it falls back down, burning the Teflon off the tiled wall. Piker ducks under a bench as the sounds of the extinguishers begin to overpower the crackle of the flames. "You got another?!" He catches the extinguisher and puts out the engine blaze, dropping the canister as it runs empty.

"What do you think did this?" Rogers leans back on the bench and says, "You got to ask? It was probably a BOW, I'd say about the height of a dump truck and about the weight of a four-door Sedan. You got any ideas, Kent? I just want to add, we need to get rid of ranks, they seem so childish." Rico nods and says, "Done, so, I think it's a pure freak accident. Kent? Any thoughts?" Kent shrugs and says, "If it was a freak accident, explain the giant carvings in the ground. Can you do that, Rico?" Rico wraps his arms in front of him and says, "Nope, Kim, I think you were right. So, any thoughts about what to do on an escape plan?" "Well, I think that we should take the 34 mile hike. Either that or we go insane and kill each other." Kent sighs loudly and asks, "Anyone think to grab a handgun from the craft before we dropped?" He looks around them and laughs, "Guess not." Rico grabs the AK-special off the ground and pulls out the thick clip. "Hmm, I don't think I've fired a single shot since we got here." Kim punches him in the arm and says, "Don't brag, the only reason is because Kent and I are such good shots." Rico smiles and says, "Don't forget that I'm the one who trained you." Kent rolls his eyes and argues, "The only thing you taught us was how to trick a man to stand still while we target him with a sniper rifle." Kim takes the laser pointer out and points it at the wall, "Yeah, you point the laser pointer at them five times, until they believe it's a kid who decided to point at them, then POW!" Rico nods and says, "Enough break-time, let's go." Kent grabs Rico's arm and says, "Where? There is nothing left to get us out of here!" Rico looks down at him and says, "See if there's anything left in the vending machines, it's a long walk to the city limits." Kent looks at Kim and nods, jogging over to the machines and stuffing the scarce vittles into his bag, being careful not to shake or puncture the drinks. "Alright, I got three bags of chips, three cupcakes and the worst drink imaginable, seven cans of Apple Juice." The other two nod and they walk up the stairs, keeping both eyes on the shadows around them. "Keep your finger on the trigger, never let go of it."

_'Food... Close, yet distant....' The beast lifts its head up and stands up, its massive body almost reaching over the top of the house. It places its hands on the two roofs and pushes off, sending himself into the downtown streets, its path clear. Its left arm clips the office building and sends it crashing to the ground. A large crater forms in the concrete and the small building crashes down on top of it._

"What the hell? It feels like the whole city is collapsing." Kent spins around, gun pointed at the zombie and fires two shotgun shells into it. The body explodes as Kim and the others run through, shooting at the zombies that scattered from everywhere. Rico unloads automatic fire into the closest zombie, watching as it moans in hunger. "Kim! Unload a grenade into the small group to our left!" Kim grabs the rifle trigger and spins the gun under hand, grasping the new trigger. Kim places a hand on the top of the gun and pulls the shotgun pump back, then presses the trigger, the grenade flying out and nearly obliterating the group of flesh eaters. Intense heat beats upon them as Kim spins the gun back around, shoving the barrel into the face of a zombie that got too close and pulls the trigger, watching as the head explodes from the shell. "I'd say another ten miles to the city limits. Keep..." A loud bang, followed by the sound of crunching asphalt. "Roar! Grrrrrr..." A THING about eleven feet tall, the mass of a body builder, times TEN! A tentacle-like thing is hanging from the back of its head, like a flesh pony-tail. One arm is nothing but a large bony spike. The other is horribly disfigured, but obviously still useable, as the thing is flexing it. On one shoulder, right where the collarbone would be, is a disfigured face. The mouth of it is sealed up, but twisted in a silent scream of terror. "Oh sick. What the hell could do this?" Rico looks at the beast on more time before opening fire with the grenades. One hits the claw-arm and shatters it, small pieces of bone flying away. "Rico!!" Rico turns to Kent and drops the gun, not really noticing that Kim took his place, firing grenade after grenade. Rico bends down at Kent and grimaces at the sight before him. A giant chunk of bone is jammed into his shoulder, the left arm hanging loosely, covered in blood. "It's broken, no way to heal. Drop me and run! Go, you fool!" Rico nods and lays Kent's dying body on the ground and grabs Kim's arm. "Let's go!" Kim picks up Kent's gun and ammo pack, laying one grenade in his hand. She gives one last look before turning the corner, hearing the thundering steps of the thing and the small ping of the grenade being armed.

"Take this, you nameless maggot!" Kent tosses the grenade at the beast and rolls onto his stomach. The muffled boom, followed by the thousands of sharp, near silent patters of the bb's as they puncture everything. Kent twitches as blood coats the ground from the hundreds of holes in his legs and back. He gasps quickly and laughs with his last breath, then he falls dead.

_The round things hurt, but nothing it couldn't live with. The food wasn't moving, not much of a challenge. It sniffs loudly and walks over the dead food, in what shouldn't be disbelief at the pain in its arm, which was now gone. It wanted the running food, and wouldn't let anything get in its way. It would get the food, or die trying. Either way, the food was dead._

"What the hell was that?" It takes Rico a few seconds to comprehend the question over the wheezing breaths of Kim. "I.. I don't have... I don't know. Whatever it was, not even twelve.." Kim looks up at him, "Thirteen." Rico nods and continues, "Yeah, right, anyway, not even thirteen grenades could stop it. I'm not even sure one of his specials could kill it." Kim nods and sits down, nearly exhausted from the ten-mile run. "This had to be the only time I ran ten miles nonstop... Man, I'm beat." Rico picks up Kent's ammo pack and pulls out an Apple Juice, he hands it to Kim and pulls out one for himself. "I hate this, but it's the only thing that probably isn't infected." Kim nods and gulps it down, dropping the empty can to the ground, "You think it followed us?" Rico shrugs and checks Kent's weapon. "You want it?" Kim shakes her head and taps the ten grenades around her belt. Rico nods and says, "Well, five-minute break, then we're gone." Kim nods and checks the clip, "Eh, I got enough ammo in this clip to blow up a tank, but that beast has skin as tough as diamond." Rico checks his and drops it, "Clean. Let's get out of here." Kim nods and stands up, instantly falling back down from the head rush. She shakes it off and pushes herself up, noticing the growing moans of the zombies nearby. "Yeah, let's go." Rico changes the clip and cocks the weapon, three pieces of ammo loading at the same time, bullets, shell, and a grenade. They stretch and begin to look for a way to escape, not really sure what to expect.

_'Food moving away... Can't let it.' The beast drops the headless, six-legged food and walks down the weird hard path. Its feet slamming into the substance and suddenly it's sprinting, moving with a god-like speed. The structures pass by in a blur of dark gray and white. 'Food, not far, not close.' The beast has a quick memory, not sure what to make of it..._

**I'm running, from what I'm not sure, there's the sound of bullets flying past, I remember one piercing my left breast, blood quickly coating my lab coat. I clench my fist around the vial I hold in my hand, 'The culmination of my father's work. Ender. The only virus that reproduces by budding, the DNA of budding-plants infused into the capsid of the T4 virus.' A work of pure genius. The next thing I know, a bullet grazes the hand I hold the vial in and I hear the shatter of glass. 'Oh no.' I stare at my hand and grimace at the sudden pain coming from my azure blue hand. 'This is the end of Dr. Julie Inman.' **The beast, the late Dr. Inman, shakes the memory away and stomps on the body of a bullet-riddled corpse. 'Food....' The thought repeats the thought over and over again as it runs through walls and bushes.

"Dammit!! There's not one path open to get out of here!" Rico bangs his hands on the solid concrete wall. "Nearly forty-seven feet high, the only building tall enough is too far away. Any ideas, Kim?" Kim shakes her head and watches their backs. "I'd say blow it up, but we don't have anything strong enough." Rico nods and throws his gun over his shoulder, becoming glad he took an extra belt. "Well, I don't know of anything else to do. You think we can climb through the wreckage of the subway train into the tunnels?" Kim shrugs and pumps the shotgun pump, watching the chambered machine gun round and spent shell fly out. Rico nods and they walk one block to the subway station. They jog down the steps and reel back at the smell of death and rotten fruit. "Another one of Lt. Major Crawford's reports said that the smell of rotting fruit represents one of two things, fresh zombies or a BOW." Kim shudders at the sound of a BOW and holds her gun up, placing her sight through the scope, "Remember that I picked the AK-special modified. Grenade launcher, shotgun and sniper rifle. I can pick off anything from 700 meters, best shot in the academy." Rico nods and holds the shotgun trigger, ready to blow anything to kingdom come. He nods at her and she walks down the stairs, prepared to blow the head off anything, friend or foe. "Clear!" Rico steps into the dank station and groans at the site on the tracks. The train is covered in bodies and flipped over, a couple of bodies twitching on the electrified wheels. "Ooohhhh!" Rico looks at Kim and says, "I though you said it was clear." "It is, they're on the other side of the tracks." Rico nods and frowns at the smell as it grows worse. "You think anyone's alive?" Kim shrugs and brings her finger from the rifle trigger to the shotgun stock, "Doubt it, seems like there's a fire inside the train. Plus, if they did survive, the zombies would've picked them off." Rico's frown deepens as a zombie slides over the wreckage, oblivious to the fact that a piece of metal cut its legs off. Kim switches triggers and fires a round into its left nostril, or lack there of. The zombie moans and dies, blood oozing from its face and mixing with the blood from its waist. "Won't be long before they all climb over. We better try to find our way over the wreckage and into the tunnels." Kim nods and slides the weapon over her shoulder, then she climbs over the side of it, being extremely careful to dodge the wheel. Her boots clatter on the tracks as Rico falls behind her, his knees missing the tracks by an inch. He breathes out slowly and says, "That would be bad, very bad." He stands up and wipes the sweat from his brow, then steps next to her, "Let's go, that old... Woman was it? Never mind, she looked really unhealthy. I don't want to end up like that." Kim nods and they walk down the dark tunnel, only the small flames from inside the train providing little light. A low rumble shakes the tunnel and the ground behind them crumbles. Rico stumbles on a piece that moved underfoot and says, "Well, we can't go back."

_'Food, seeming near distant. Smell of dead food, I hate it. Must get rid of dead food.' The thing that was once Dr. Inman steps on a dead food and busts through a wall, growling as a piece jabs into her, its, left eye, blocking its vision for a second. It blinks once and shoves its right arm through the next wall, finally reaching its destination. 'Food, but not in sight, must be below.' The still-human part of its brain winning out. The thing brings its foot up and slams it into the asphalt, almost smiling as it falls through, bringing the rest of its body with it. 'Food will be mine.'_

"Run!! the BOW is here!!!" Kim roll-dodges past the dirt and asphalt as it falls, the dark silhouette of the BOW mixed in. It throws its head back and lets out a merciless, and hungry, cry. More dust falls as Kim keeps her scope locked on the left eye of the beast, which is bloodshot from something neither of them can place. She clenches the trigger and the gun jerks suddenly, the round piercing the cataract-white eye. The orb explodes, causing the beast to roar and howl in angst and pain. Kim jackets a round and fires again, the round going high as a rock hits the gun. She hears the plump of a grenade firing before the beast disappears in a ball of fierce light and intense heat. "Rico!?" His voice is muffled, but close, "Run! Get up and run toward my voice!" Kim scrapes at the ground and pushes herself up, just as the flesh-like whip crashes into the dirt where she was sitting. She dives toward Rico as something explodes, sending a large chunk of the track into her spine. She cries in pain and rolls into Rico's arms, "Ugh, I got you. Let's go, I don't think anything we just did stopped it." Rico turns and jogs down the tunnel, completely aware to the thundering footsteps. They slide along the gravel to a stop in front of a door marked, "Maintenance Room." Rico busts the door in and helps Kim through, while risking a look for the BOW. He finds it nonexistent, though he expects it to show again soon. "Let's go, I think this machinery will cover our sound and our scent, we should be safe for a while. You ok?" Kim coughs and says, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks a lot. You sure it won't find us?" Rico shrugs and runs his hand over the control panel and the machinery kicks on, smiling as a thick smoke rises from one of the giant machines. "Come on, let's go. I think the door is that way. We better get going, so, get up." Kim struggles to her feet and uses her gun as a crutch. Rico wraps an arm around her waist and helps her to the door, knowing that she's hurt more than she's letting on. He opens the door and pushes Kim through, grabbing his gun at the same time. "Told you, there it is." Kim lifts her head and groans softly at the hunched over BOW. She gags in disgust as the BOW pulls the head off the soldier and gulps it down, the tongue cut into three. A loud slurping sound echoes off the walls and it drops the empty skull, just the skull, no skin, muscle, brain, just the bone skull. Rico steps in front of her and fires a grenade into the neck of the beast, not really sure if it will do anything. The grenade connects, just causing the head to stumble forward slightly. The BOW lifts its head back up and turns around slowly, the movement awe-inspiring. Rico fires another grenade and another, the first connects with the mouth, sending a smile across his lips as the top half of the head bends back, the skin on its cheeks tearing. "Here... Fire this." The second grenade goes high. Rico takes the small bomb and snaps it into the grenade barrel, he pulls the trigger, not pumping a grenade in, the bomb flies out and digs into the roof of the BOW's mouth. Rico tosses Kim into the Maintenance Room and follows, slamming the door shut just as the bomb explodes. Rico stumbles backwards as the pellets form dents in the door, the longest almost two inches. One pierces the wall and punctures the large generator, sending scalding steam in their direction. Rico dives to the ground, holding his gun behind him, ready to fire on anything that moves. He breathes slowly and drops the gun, pretty sure that nothing is ever coming through that door. He belly-crawls over to Kim and helps her up, pushing her away from the steam, "Thanks, you think we got it?" Rico leans against a piece of machinery and sighs, "I'm not sure, but anything with a grenade that close can't be alive now." Kim exhales loudly and replies, "I doubt it, plus, the thing's head was nearly broken in half! Give me a minute and I can walk on my own. Damn rock knocked the wind out of me and then some." Rico nods and pulls a can of apple juice out and a bag of chips, then he hands them to Kim. She begins to eat as Rico guards the doors.

**_The last thing I remember before the hunger was the smell of blood and sulfur. My body was a already beginning to mutate, the tingling and burning sensation in each and every part of my body, the burning parts are in my extremities. Even know, I can feel my DNA reconstructing, my cells reforming to hold all the new cell parts. 'Well, I wanted a human test subject, didn't I?' I shake the thought off as another spy creeps around the corner. I shot him three times, then relished in taking him apart, piece-by-piece with a rusted scalpel. People would call me psychotic, but I'm just enjoying my kills while I can, the virus is minutes away now from taking over all my emotions, leaving me with slight lust for food. I can't believe how perfect this virus is, it's near flawless. I just hear another spy, far off, but still in the compound. Time to see how well this virus works. _**Dr. Inman roars in fury as the memory fades away, leaving a tiny chunk of what is left of her humanity behind. Each time she has a memory, that part of her humanity is dissolved. She pounds her fist into the wall and her lipless mouth tries to curl into a smile. She pulls her arm out of the wall and slowly strides in the direction of the food, knowing that one is weakened.

"You ready?" Kim nods and stands up, quickly clutching her waist, right near where her kidneys are. Rico cocks an eyebrow and asks, the worry evident, "You sure you're ok?" Kim nods and says, "Yes, I'm fine. Now let's get the hell out of here." Rico picks up his gun and places his over his shoulder, tightening the strap in doing so. He pulls out the small semiautomatic he found in a crate in the storage room across the hall and opens the door. He looks side to side and nods, listening as Kim walks past him, holding the AK-modified in well-hidden limp arms. "I'll cover you." Rico nods and walks forward, cursing the sound of their steps echoing down the hall. 'Somebody down in China could hear our steps.' He points the handgun down the offshoot and fires a round at the zombie. Half of its head explodes, sending its blackened brain falling out the back. The zombie twitches twice and falls to the ground. Rico drops the creeping thought of who that could've been as something with seven legs, six on the sides and one where a tail would be, clambers across the wall. He pulls the gun up, but Kim beat him to the punch, firing three rifle rounds into the things shoulders, as the head is inset. Two of its arms blow off, the shattered bone bouncing off the wall. Strangely, the arms behind it move up, making it look like a four-legged animal with a mutilated tail. It howls its anger at them and hops off the wall, using the fifth leg for extra force. It lands on the concrete with an audible thud and begins to chitter forward. Rico fires twice, watching rounds bounce off. "You need something with a little more force." Rico nods and pulls his AK-special around. He pumps three shotgun rounds off, but the beast doesn't flinch. "How much more force does it need!?" Kim winks at him and he flips his gun upside-down. He pumps a grenade off and the beast explodes, its body parts shredding as they fly through the stale and fetid air. He places the handgun in his belt and holds the special in one hand, hearing the barrel scrape across the cracked concrete. He turns to Kim just in time to catch her as she falls, grunting in pain the whole way. He places a hand under her head and one around her waist, dropping his gun. He lays her down on the ground and takes off his vest, placing it under her head as a pillow. He snaps her vest off and pulls her shirt up half-way, nodding at the large purple bruise forming above her left kidney. "I'm fine my ass, Kim." He pulls out his med pack and unwraps the gauze. He lifts her up and wraps the gauze around her waist. He taps her shoulder and says, "All done. You rest while I keep watch."

**I never thought those seven years of training since Umbrella took over the country would come in handy. But now, stuck in the middle of my worst nightmare, right here in my home city of Washington D.C., I wonder, can I make it through this? I have the training, the knowledge, the **_HATE_ **for Umbrella, but they seem so futile when one thinks about them. No one can prepare themselves for the reality of a viral outbreak of this caliber. In two weeks, Umbrella completely destroyed a country that took three hundred years to make, all over a stupid virus. They take nothing seriously, they think they can just do what they want, when they want. Ha! This proves them right, since they took over, every country we had an alliance with has broken it. We had to suffer the fourth World War, the second Cold War, and the third, forth, and fifth Desert Storm. Damn, all so Umbrella could test and retest their precious viruses.... First Kent, and pretty soon, Kim. Everyone of my teammates, slaughtered throughout the years. The pay was pretty good, but it wasn't good enough to keep some of our mouths shut. The only thing worse than being bribed, is being bribed to keep your mouth shut about something you don't know. They told us to keep our mouths shut about anything we saw, but they never let us go below the first few levels, never let us help when something got loose, never let us capture someone who knew too much. We never saw anything, and that's the truth.** Rico wakes up from his daze as Kim moves in her troubled sleep, the sounds of the explosions not helping much. "Hey, calm down, it's ok, Kim? Hey Kim, wake up." He shakes and she screams loudly, "What? Where am I? Oh... How long was I out?" Rico checks his watch and says, "About six hours, I carried you out of the subway system and into a condemned building, now, I've been killing anything that moves, be it zombie or dust cloud. How you feeling?" Kim sits up and groans, "My left side is killing me, but I've been better. You slept?" Rico yawns and shakes his head, "Nah, I've lasted four days without sleep, this is nothing. But, I could use about an hour's worth of sleep. You think you can 'man' the fort?" Kim laughs weakly and says, "Yeah, I think I can manage. You been out searching, or is this what you found in an old, rusty fridge?" Rico leans his head toward the small pile of food and shrugs, "Ah, there's a small store across the street, I was gone three minutes tops, but got a lot. Help yourself." Kim stands up and walks over to the pile, rummaging through until she finds a packaged sandwich and a bag of chips. She sits down in the chair and opens the sandwich, smiling as the aroma of the tuna on wheat fills her nostrils. She opens the chips and pulls one out, takes a bite of the sandwich and pops the chip in her mouth. "There's a jug of water next to the chair. Have fun, I'm going to sleep." 

Kim mumbles something as Rico passes out against the pillar. Kim takes another bite of the sandwich and looks out the grimy window out onto the street. Her eyes grow wide as she spots the BOW walking down the street, but what scares her is how it is looking right at HER! Kim drops the food to the floor and grabs her. She runs to the window and pulls it up, places her gun on the sill, and aims the scope at the beast. She targets the still bleeding left eye and waits, her breathing even and flawless. The BOW roars and before Kim can tell what it is, a tentacle is crashing through the glass, parting her hair, 'Damn, one inch lower and I'd be dead before I hit the floor.' Kim keeps her aim tight and fires twice. The first one hits dead on, the second, piercing the left temple. The BOW roars and charges at the building. Kim picks her gun up and jumps back just as the BOW crashes through the wall. "Rico!!! Get up! We got to leave, NOW!" Rico shouts something, telling her that he's already down the stairs. Kim spins around, crying out in pain as her kidney begins to burn. She shrugs the pain off and bolts down the stairs, hearing Rico bust through the glass door at the bottom. Something pounds into her back, and before she knows it, she's sitting in a small crater in the wall. She groans in pain as the BOW walks past her, hissing in anger and walking down the steps. 'Rico!' Kim pushes herself out of the wall and lands on the ground in a crouch. She stands up and jogs down the stairs, trying to run past the creature, trying to give Rico another second.

"Kim!!!! Come on!!" Rico jumps through the glass door and shoulder-rolls across the ground, then stops on his feet with his gun pointed at the doors. "Come on, come on..." He hears a loud thud, followed by a loud hissing. 'What the hell?' Rico stays in his spot as the BOW tears through the wall, with Kim hanging on to its arm, firing shotgun blasts into its elbow. Rico aims at the creature's right temple and fires, the stream of bullets tearing through its skull like a hot knife through butter. A large chunk of its skin slaps against the receptionist's desk and begins to bubble. "What in the name of God?!?!" Rico fires again, this time tearing through the other side of its skull. The BOW growls/roars in pure pain and falls, dead. Rico walks up to the beast and unloads seven shells into what's left of the skull. The head smashes into a million pieces, leaving only the exposed spine. Rico breathes heavily and says, "I think I got it." Kim pushes the arm off of her and says, "No shit. Its arm grew cold really quick." Rico drops the drained clip and slaps in a new one. "Let's go, I don't think it's safe around here anymore." Kim rolls her eyes and says, "Nah, really?" Rio shrugs and kicks the body one time. He shoulders his gun and jogs down the street, to where, they aren't sure.


	3. Two

****

Chapter Two

_The food thinks they can kill me? Now, all I have to do is wait. The blob of skin that was bubbling on the hard surface begins to fold and mold, forming into the shape of a small woman. The left arm turns into a large, javelin-like spike. The right arm drops and the hand bends, just like a gorilla's hand. The left arm extends down to the knee, and it begins to wiggle, morphing from a spike to a thick whip. The whip begins to crack in the air as the body begins to dry and turn into flesh. The head-region extends from the shoulders and a sick, evil smile forms across the mouth, splitting open and small, fang-like teeth protrude from the gums. The eyes slit open and the beast roars, letting the whole, dead city, know that the BOW is reborn._

Rico places a hand on Kim's shoulder and asks, "Did you just hear that?" Kim tilts her head to the left and says, the fear evident, "It's the BOW. But, didn't you blow three-fourths of its skull off?" Rico nods and says, "Yes, but I doubt that was its actual head. Anyway, we better get going, the White House is this way." Kim frowns and says, "You think the President..." "I don't want to think about it. Let's just handle everything as it comes." Kim nods and pumps off two shells into the zombie. It explodes in a flash of blood and gore before they round the corner. "There's another one of those things. Aim for the arm joints." Kim nods and lays down on the ground, placing her gun in her hands. She places her eye to the sight and fires twice, blowing off the front and back legs. The beast shrieks and drops to the ground. Rico reels back in disgust as the fifth leg moves around, forcing the left leg into the shoulder. The beast picks itself up and scurries toward them. Rico tilts his head behind him and says, "You got two more?" Kim nods and fires two more times, the first shot piercing the right shoulder, blowing it off. Before the legs can move, the second round pierces the back leg, tearing it off with a wet slap. Rico nods and Kim fires another shot, this time the round pierces the inset face of the beast. Blood and gunk pour from the crater that was once its face as it drops to the concrete, its two legs that are left snapping under the dead weight. Rico jumps for joy and says, "Alright!! Come on, can't anything stop us now!" Kim stands up and says, "Yep, this is it. Let's go." She shoulders the weapon and walks down the road, holding a grenade in one hand, just in case. "If that white flare is what I think it is, then we're close." Kim nods and they quicken their pace.

_The food is running toward a large pile of dead food. The food is mine. The BOW charges down the road and crashes through a wall, using its whip-arm to crunch it in first, softening the blow. As it runs through the building, another memory winds its way through its mind. **My body is beginning to fall apart, my skin falling off, my muscle tearing and reforming, my bones elongating and sharpening. The pain is excruciating, but I have to live through it, for the sake of the experience. I clench my bloody and skinless hands together and scream, the sound blood-filled and merciless. I claw into the wall and pull myself up, my skin already beginning to reform, nearly colorless. The pain is beginning to subside, what has it been, thirteen hours of pain? I bet my new life that this pain is worth the pleasure I'll feel when I'm reborn. No one can escape me once I change, no one. **The new Dr. Inman roars and crashes through the wall at the other end of the building. Rock and plaster flow past her as she barrels down the road, her clawed toes scraping deep trenches in the asphalt. She pumps her right arm for more speed, making the blurs of the buildings speed by faster. Food will be mine._

"Now that sucks." Kim nods and says, "I wonder how long they've had the bomb walls up." Rico shrugs and says, "This will make our trip a bit more perilous. Since the bomb walls are up, that means the virus is still alive and well in there. I'd say the virus is nowhere near dissipating yet. Let's blow open a hole and let what's left of the virus out." Kim looks at him funny and asks, "Where the hell did that come from?" Rico laughs and holds his gun upside-down, pumping off a grenade at the thick metal bomb wall that surrounds the White House. A large dent in the wall forms and he pumps off another one. The dent explodes and a hole in the plaster wall is revealed. Rico drops the gun and sits down, watching the blue gas pour from the hole. Kim reaches into her bag and pulls out two gas masks, "Here, put this on quick, you don't want to become a zombie." Rico nods and straps it over his head, strapping his hood over it. His breathing sounds raspy through the air filter. The hum of the electric filter fills the whole mask as Rico and Kim strap on the rest of their armor, making sure to cover every inch of their skin. He nods at Kim and they walk into the hazy White House, growling at the giant Umbrella symbol tiled into the lobby floor. "I hate this, how Umbrella just took over and destroyed this city, hell the whole country." Kim nods and holds her gun up, one hand on the trigger, the other on the pump. "I know, it's kind of disturbing at how there's no bodies, but tons of drying blood everywhere. Like over there, it seems as though someone tried to climb the wall, and succeeded. Every single one of these marks is a different handprint, my god, it's like a thousand people were crammed into this lobby at one time." Rico nods and pulls his mask off, "I think it's clear. The air is just stale and rancid." Kim takes hers off and breathes in deeply. "Yes, the air is clean, well, as clean as it can get in a city like this." Rico pulls his handgun out and checks the clip. "Hmm, seven shots left. How's your last clip coming along?" Kim pulls the massive clip out and says, "Got three sniper rounds, twenty-four shells, and five grenades. You?" Rico tosses her a clip from Kent's pack and says, "Here, Lt. Major Crawford used the same gun you do. I got one more if you need it." Kim nods and places the clip on her vest. "Yeah, thanks. Well, which way, we got this way, that way, and I'm-flat-out-lost. If it were up to me, I'd head to the Oval Office, if it's still there." 

Rico nods and points down the left hall, "You go that way, I'll take the path o the Congressional Hall. We'll meet back here in ten, no more, no less." Kim nods and starts to walk down the hall, but Rico grabs her arm. He hands her the handgun and says, "Take it, I won't need it, plus, I think you might find some ammo along the way." Kim nods and places the gun on the hip holster. She points her AK-modified down the hall and steps slowly down it. Rico wishes her luck silently and steps down his own hall, not quite going far enough until he hears a door close. He bolts down the hall and slams his shoulder into the frame of the door, breaking the hinges off. He rolls across the door and lands on his feet and butt, gun pointed at the giant semi-circle seat way. "Great, I found the bodies." He gazes over the room, grimacing at the bodies that litter the room. Bodies hang split in half, some shoved through the flag poles, most of them just thrown into the seats, their hands grasping at microphones and armrests. "This was done by a human, it's too organized to be anything less." Rico steps forward, but stops when a low giggle emits from behind the president's pedestal. "Hello?? Is anyone there?" Rico walks up the sidesteps and points his rifle toward the door. He jumps to his left, shoving the gun into the man's face. "President Aiken??" The ruffled black suit, the matted blonde hair, the shaken, distant eyes, this was definitely the form of President John Hansen Aiken. He twitches his head and his left eye tics, his voice is slurred and distraught, the signs of shock and insomnia, "Who are you??? What are you doing here???" Rico drops his weapon and applies the most sincere voice he can manage, "My name is Commander Rico Piker, I'm with the 8th division of the 12th platoon of the United States Marines. President Aiken, I'm here to get you out." Rico looks at the blood oozing down the blue curtain, he follows it up and twinges at the form of Vice President Tremor pinned to the wall by the tips from the flag poles. He turns his attention back to the President and asks, "Do you know who did this?" President Aiken nods furiously and replies, "Y.. yes I di.. did it. They tried.. t.. to ki...kill me. But, I go...got them fir.. first." Rico takes a crouched step back and breathes out slowly, _Ok, he's suffering from extreme psychosis, easy movements, don't want to set him off. You don't want to end up like Pin-the-tail-on-the-Tremor, huh Rico?_

"Ok, I'm going to ask you to come with me. Now, President Aiken, come with me, we're going to get you out." You can see the anger and shock fill his eyes, "NO!!! You can't make me leave!!! Umbrella released the Licker-Zs into the city, nowhere is safe." His eyes dart to the ceiling and he laughs maniacally, "There's one now!!! Hahahaha!!! You can't escape!!" Rico pushes into the air and twists his body, landing on the top of the pedestal, pointing his gun at the thing on the ceiling. "What the hell!!! There's nothing there!" Rico points his gun at the ceiling as four marks appear in the cloth-covered ceiling. The 'thing' is walking across the ceiling as its body morphed colors. It is the size of a full-grown man, its four arms bent like a spider's. The feet are gecko-like, the bottoms covered in three small claws and tons of suction cups, each foot has one long, thin, Velociraptor claw that reaches from the foot all the way in front of it and touches the ceiling, making a light ticking sound as it crawls. The movement is cat-like, smooth as hot butter. Rico wastes no time, he pulls the trigger, unleashing HP rounds into the body.

_What the hell is that?_ Kim jumps up from the desk and bolts through the door, pocketing the five 9mm clips she found in the Secret Service Office. She turns the corner tightly and pumps her arms for more speed. "Don't be dead, don't be dead. Please, don't be dead!" She runs through the doorway and slides across the splintered wood chips. "What the hell is that thing!" Rico back-flips from atop the pedestal and lands on his feet, sliding back from the impact of the landing. A long, tongue-thing slithers down to Rico and he jumps to the left. Kim rolls toward the chairs as the tongue crashes where she was once standing. She lands on her left side and screams in the sudden pain. "You ok, Kim??" She replies and positions the gun on the banister, pushing her eye into the scope. She targets the head and fires two times, the first round going high and the second puncturing the black skin. The hole pours blood and, to her amazement, its skin morphs to the color of its blood, a bright, bright red. 

"What is it, Rico?" Rico lands beside her and pants, "The President called it a Licker-Z. I tried aiming for the body, the only place left is the tongue." Kim nods and tilts the gun down, pinpointing the tongue as it slithers around, searching for a target. "Keep it busy, I'll get it." Rico nods and pulls out his pocket knife. He flips the blade open and tosses it at the skull of the Licker-Z. The blade whistles loudly as it flies toward the skull, finally puncturing the left eye. The Licker-Z screams/shrills in pain and the tongue straightens out. "Got you." She pulls the trigger, and in a wet tear, the tongue splits in two, the separated part flips through the air and sticks into the wall. The Licker-Z flails as it flips to the ground, bouncing lifelessly three times. Kim drops the sniper rifle and leans back against the blood-soaked chair. "Damn... That thing took more hits than a tank." Rico laughs and replies, "Yeah. Oh, damn, I forgot all about the President." Rico jogs up the sidesteps and bends down behind the pedestal. "Never mind, he's dead. He died from fright." Rico stands up and salutes the dead President. He walks down the steps and offers a hand to Kim, "Come on, there's nothing here. Did you find anything down your hall?" Kim smiles and replies, "Yup, five clips for the handgun. I haven't checked the Oval Office yet." Rico yawns and replies, "Alright, that's where we're going."

_One of the food just died, the same two still alive. Dr. Inman's hunger turns to lust, she now needs the blood of the food. Not even the walls can stop her as she hunts the food, keeping distance from them, just waiting for the right moment to strike. She crushes the car underfoot as she runs over it. Dr. Inman whips the car, splitting it in half, needing it to be the food. Something in the virus allowed the emotion of need, no lust, become stronger. Food will die, by my hand._

"Damn, this place took most of the fighting. Seems like the President's secretary is lodged in the door to the President's escape plan." Kim covers her mouth and steps forward, scanning the room for anything useful. "Nada. Well, let's see what the President's escape plan is." Rico pushes the door open, sliding the secretary's body out of the way. He steps into the tiny room as Kim flips the light switch. Long light tubes buzz on and the lights cast an eerie glow over the scene. "No wonder they never escaped.. Seems like the BOW, or Umbrella destroyed the jets. Damn, that sucks for us and them." Rico kicks a piece of smoking wreckage off of the body and bends down, "This was recent, this body is still alive." The man reaches up to Rico with a burnt hand, gasping for the breath to say the words, "The.. They de.. de.. destroyed.. the je.. jet. Couldn't esc... escape.. Blew the... hang.. hangar doors." Rico places a gloved hand on the man's chest, "Hey, hey. It's going to be ok, you're going to be ok." The man wheezes/laughs, "Bull... Bullshit." Rico smiles and lays the man back down. "Rest in peace, not pieces, my friend." He stands up and looks at the rocks that block the hangar doors. 

"Let's start at the top, clear the rocks. The airstrip leads over the Potomac River." Kim nods and jogs over to the rocks, climbs to the top of them, and begins to pull rocks down. The clatter of rocks reverberates through the tiny hangar as Rico climbs next to her, also beginning to pull rocks. They get a decent-sized hole going, but it isn't big enough for either of them to get through. "Damn, you think if I move three more rocks, you can crawl through?" Kim bends down and says, "Probably." Rico nods and shoves the butt of his gun into the hole. He pushes on the barrel and a bunch of rocks clatter to the steel ground. Kim nods and slides through, shouting something to Rico before she runs off. Rico pokes his head through, and a belt smacks him in his face. He reels back and rubs the big red mark forming on his face. "Hmm, she left me the grenades. I wonder if she thinks I'll need them?" Rico straps the grenades around his waist and drops down the mound of rocks. He walks over to the F-18 jet and sits down on the wing. He pulls a grenade off and holds it in both hands, contemplating how many plans he can make off of this one bomb. He counts thirty-one and replaces the grenade, wondering if he'll need them. He drops down the wing and walks around the hangar, eyeing the bodies and burning shrapnel. He hears the booms of a shotgun and wonders again at whether or not he'll need the grenades. _"Rico!!! I found the river!!!!!! You can crawl through now!" _Rico smiles and climbs the pile, right as something LARGE bursts through the mound, sending rocks and boulders flying everywhere. Rico screams as he flips and spins through the air, rolling to a stop right in front of a blazing flame. He pushes himself up and stares in horror at the BOW as it stands up, the rubble and rock dust pouring off its body. "You're dead!! You're dead, you're dead, you're dead!!" 

The BOW's head nods as though it can actually understand his words. It cracks its whip-arm and it slams into his outstretched gun, splitting it in half. Rico shouts in frustration and drops the pieces, picking up the clip, just in case, you know. He charges through the hole and bolts across the dust and gravel-covered airstrip. The BOW's pounding footsteps echo past him as his boots dig deep for traction. He sees the light growing closer, well until the whip-arm wraps around his neck, cutting off the air and blood-flow instantly. He gags on the growing blood in his mouth as he reaches for the pocketknife on the boot-sheathe, but it's just out of reach. He groans in frustration and pain as the BOW wraps its right hand around his legs, the tiny middle claws slicing his camouflage pants. Rico feels his thighs begin to strain against his hip joints. "Ki... KIM!!!!" A loud bang, followed by warm fluid, divert his attention to the shadow lying on the ground, a gun in hand.

"Get down now!!" Kim raises the sight and fires again, this round piercing the center of its forehead. A hole, the size of a light bulb, appears, gushing blood and other matter. Rico drops to the ground and stumbles toward her, his run a limp now. He drops down next to her and grabs the handgun and three clips. "Come on, one more and we'll go." Kim grunts and fires again, this round piercing the left eye at an angle. The BOW takes a step forward and suddenly bursts into an all-out sprint. _Damn, that thing can run._ Kim pumps her feet and their boots crunch the gravel, the sound of it nearly shaking the roof down. "There it is..." She barely heard his reply over the thunder of the monster's steps. Kim trips over a hole and lands in a handstand. She pushes into the air and flips to her feet. She hits the ground running and Rico and she run into the open air and light of the Potomac River. Rico jumps into the freezing river and swims across, holding the handgun above the surface the whole way. Kim tosses her gun onto a tiny Island and swan dives in, the BOW hot on her heels. She hits the bottom of the River and grasps a root, going hand-over-hand across the bottom, grabbing roots and pieces of pipe. She reaches for the wall just as the air in her lungs becomes carbon dioxide. 

She struggles to pull herself up, but not before the BOW crashes into her chest. She holds her breath in, even through the tremendous pain and swims to the surface. She breaks the surface and grasps the dirt on the island. She scrambles up the dirt as her feet dig into the dirt, slipping twice. She gasps and chokes for air as the BOW breaks the surface, looking as though it doesn't breathe at all. Kim scrambles across the island and snatches her gun, holding it behind her and pumping off grenades blindly. She switches triggers and pumps off shotgun shells, the booms growing fainter as she outruns it amazingly. She tosses the gun across the other half of the river and jumps into the air, crashing into the water with enough force to knock the wind out of her. She shakes the pain off and swims across the freezing water, the cold, biting wind not helping any.

"Come on, Kim!! Damn, where's my gun?" Rico picks the gun out of a bush and fires six, seven times. The pecks of the rounds drowned out by the sudden splash of Kim's body. "Damn, that sounded like it hurt." Rico exchanges the clip for another and fires once again. Kim climbs up the mud and picks up her gun, holding it in slick and freezing hands, "Ste... Steady me.. me... I'm sha.. shaking too bad." Rico nods and wraps one arm around Kim's shaking waist, the other around her neck, trying his best to warm and steady her. She breathes out slow and even as she aims the scope, firing a round when the aim is right. Two, three light bulb-seized holes appear in the shoulder and chest, sending huge chunks to the mud. "That's gross." Kim ignores him and fires the last seven rounds into the beast's face. The head explodes and the body falls down, smacking into the mud hard enough to send chunks of it into the air. "I doubt even THAT killed it." Kim nods and runs down the small dirt, mud, path.

_The puddles of muck steam, fold, and mold until three or four BOWs stand where their parent died. Each one more mutated than the parent, but still holds the same mind, same memories, and an even stronger lust for the blood of the food. I will kill that food. **We will kill that food.** The four BOWs walk into the water, sucking in gallons of it, but displeased with the taste, at how BLAND it is. Blood, must have the blood of the food._

"You think it's safe to stop?" Rico looks at her and shakes his head. Kim groans and pumps her arm again for even more speed. Rico keeps pace with her and suddenly collapses, holding his side. "Rico, what's the matter?" Kim spins around and walks back to him. He holds an arm out and gasps, "I'm.. I'm ok. Just a stitch in my side." Kim nods and pushes him down to the mud. "You did it to me, now I'm doing it to you." Rico nods and un-straps his vest, laying it beside him. Kim pulls out his knife and slices his shirt on the side, tearing it open. "Oh shit, that looks bad." Rico gazes at what he can and says, "Feels like a rib punctured my liver, I'm going to need something to stop the internal bleeding." Kim nods and says, "I doubt Umbrella left any medical supplies in the city. How long do you think you can last?" Rico groans in pain and replies, "Um, I'd say about another hour and a half. Maybe two hours tops." Kim frowns and says, "Put your vest back on, we're getting you to the hospital." Rico straps his vest on and stands up, with a lot of help from Kim. "Let's go." Kim nods and they begin to walk down the mud path.

"We can't let them make it." The grunt in black and silver battle armor bows and says, "Yes sir. What should we send after them now?" The tall man in the metal fold-up chair leans forward and sighs, "I don't know, how about the new thing you are all messing with?" The grunt nods and replies, "Alright, we'll release the Theta7s." The man clasps his hands together and says, "Excellent." The grunt heel-turns and walks out the door, in perfect military form, considering the circumstances at the Umbrella lab. "Hmm, they can't escape, we've blocked off... Oh, no. They can't find the tunnel in the hospital, plus Commander Rico is injured, mortally." He laughs and punches keys on the control panel. A loud rumbling, quickly followed by dust falling from the ceiling. "Great.. Not much longer now."

"We're here, how you feeling?" Rico lifts his head up and says, the words slurred, "I'm ok, I can last until you can find something to stop the bleeding. So, let's get to it." Kim nods and walks him into the lobby, the smell of ether faint. "Hmm, there's no decaying smell, no smell of rotting fruit." Rico groans and asks, "What about the three dead men over there on the bench?" Kim shoots a glance at the three men and says, "They look like they have no eyes, but there's no smell emanating from them. I think it's the ether, but I'm not so sure." Rico points to the stairs and says, "They keep the medication downstairs. Well, that was seven years ago." Kim nods and walks toward the stairs, sitting Rico on the closest chair first. He hands her the grenades and says, "You might need them." Kim nods, takes one step toward the stairs, turns back around, and says, "Here, you keep one." She lays the grenade in his shaking hands, wondering if he'll have the strength to pull the pin. She taps his shoulder and walks down the stairs, grimacing as her boots scrape across the concrete steps.

She hits the bottom and grasps at the wall, looking for a switch or flashlight, even a matchbook would do. She hits an indentation and reaches into it, pulling down on a long switch. A loud pop of electricity, followed by the loud bangs as each and every bulb explode, send a chill down her spine. "Great, just great. Now, all I need a flashlight, hell, even a little laser pointer." She clips a firm grasp of the wall and pulls herself along, trying her hardest to look into the blackness for a medicine cabinet that she saw in the split second of light. "OW!! Just perfect, I'm in the dark and everything wants to stub my toe!" Kim reaches down and grabs her foot, noticing the bottle lying on the desk she was inches from hitting. "Hemostat... That's it!" She grabs it and turns around, screaming as her face runs head first into a fleshy face-thing. "What the hell!?!?!?!?" Kim shoves it with her free hand and bolts past it, running into tables and other things. Glass breaks as she rounds the staircase banister, pulling herself up with adrenaline-fed strength. She runs through the door and slams it shut behind her. The sound of claws tearing through the wooden door resounds off of the white walls as Kim stumbles back, fumbling for her gun. She clicks the safety off and fires shotgun blast after shotgun blast, not stopping until blood pours from the claw holes in the door. She drops the gun and stares for a minute, then screams with all that is holy in the world. Rico looks up at her and asks, "What was it?" 

Kim stops screaming and pulls out the hemostat liquid. She walks behind the reception desk and pulls out an emergency med kit. She takes out the hypodermic needle and fills it half-way with the brown liquid. She walks up to Rico, who already has his belt on his arm as a tourniquet, and places the needle in the protruding vein. "So, how are the wife and kids?" Rico laughs and says, "Oh fine, Johnny killed Sally, Johnny's now in jail, and my wife chopped her own head off." Kim looks up at him and says, "I hope you're kidding." He looks at her and says, "You tell me. You know I don't have a family." He gives her a crazy-eye and smiles. She laughs and says, "All done. Where to next?" Rico rolls his arm and says, "Keep the liquid and grab three needles, I might need them. First, we get the hell out of here, whatever that was, I don't want to wait and see if there is more of them." Kim nods and asks, "Where to?" Rico looks up and says, "I'd say we head upstairs, yeah, I know, it goes against what I just said, but I got nothing." Kim nods and picks her gun up, "Alright, let's go."

_The food cannot escape, they're close, but they can't escape. I won't let them. **WE **won't let them. The four Dr. Inman copies crawl under the water, their massive weight too much for the water or current to move. Each step sends a cloud of dirt into the water, obscuring them with the murkiness of it. One steps on an underwater power cable and snaps it in two, sending large bolts of electricity through it, searing the flesh from the BOWs' body. The beasts keep walking, not even fazed by the electricity coursing through the water. The first one throws its arm up and the three whips break the surface, wrapping around a tree and pulling itself up. For the first time since they dove into the water, their bodies are fully exposed, the build less muscular, more like an overweight TALL man, the skin loose and wrinkled, parts are falling off like a neckless shirt. The face of Dr. Inman that was on the shoulder has molded away, leaving the flesh pebbled, the shape barely visible. The left arm now three long, vine-like tentacles, the right arm now a gorilla-length, skinless arm, well, now with no muscle, just tendon and bone. Most of the right torso is just like the right arm, tendon and bone. The five claws have stretched to the same length, 3 feet of razor sharp, skin-peeling talons, bent at the fingers to allow the right arm to walk on the knuckles, or lack there of. The head is pebbled, resembling a faded sequin jacket, the water making it appear to be shining. The eyes are yellow with a green pupil, the eyes themselves glowing slightly. The four Dr. Inman copies roar simultaneously and turn toward the hospital, breathing in high-pitched, raspy hisses. They take their first steps toward the hospital and stop, turning their pebbled heads to the seven metal cylinders popping out of the ground. Air hisses from them as they open, seven identical things sliding out, walking with the grace Dr. Inman once had. The seven things roar loudly, the sound shaking the dirt they stand on. The four BOWs roar back and they charge the beasts. The seven slide back and jump up into the air, landing on the BOWs._

"NO! They shouldn't be fighting Dr. Inman!! They should be fighting the soldiers!!! What the hell happened!!??" The grunt shuffles his feet and says, "Major Heller, sir, We haven't had enough time to put the CPUs inside their brains yet, they fight on impulse, not order, sir." Heller growls and shoots the grunt in the head with the AC56, a semiautomatic with the recoil of a shotgun, and the firepower in each round. He places the gun back in his holster and steps over the grunt, "Well, let's see what we can program?" He walks through the crimson-stained walls and reminisces the moment everything almost went sour. 

**It happened one week and three days ago. The first attacks, I mean. Rumors were going around of a repeat of the Raccoon City and Chicago disasters, where, no one was sure. We all had our suspicions, but who would have thought that my suspicion would come true? I can answer that myself, anyone with any fucking common sense, that's who. All the signs were there, how Umbrella was making war with just about everybody, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, hell, we even fought amongst ourselves, the Second Civil War, the costliest war even above the World Wars, Cold War, Desert Storms combined. But, they began cloning, nearly overpopulating the country, any steps the government tried to take against Umbrella, the more people who just mysteriously disappeared. Hah, they never figured it out, until it was too late. Back to the idea at hand, Umbrella released the zombies, they never had to cover it up until one of their own tried to squeal, nearly succeeded too. Umbrella got rid of her, well, she got rid of herself. Ah, yes, Dr. Julie Inman, creator of the Ender Virus. Her creation, and she became her first test subject, passing with flying colors I might add. The more they try to kill her, the more of her that come back. It started as one, then one, and now four. As long as one remaining chunk of her flesh is left, she can come back, but!! In this form, she can reproduce by dropping parts of herself, she doesn't have to wait anymore. Not even our prototype plasma laser can stop her, not in this form. It may be four now, but, pretty soon, it will be hundreds of unstoppable, super-human Dr. Inman copies. No one, human or otherwise can destroy them. **

Major Heller laughs loudly and opens a door, basking in the glow of the stasis tubes.


	4. Three

****

Chapter Three

"Watch out!" Rico slides across the tiled floor and crashes into the open door of one of the rooms. Kim drops to the ground and belly-crawls through an open vent, dropping a grenade behind her, tossing it to the left of course. "Fire in the hole!!!" Rico shouts something back, but it's lost to the boom of the grenade, followed by the seemingly endless pings of the bb's. One flies through the plaster wall and digs into Rico's left arm. "AH! Damn it!" Kim runs into the room and says, "Woops, not enough notice?" Rico groans and says, "Nope, paper-thin walls. I'm surprised I got just one." Kim nods and remarks, "Sit up, I'm going to pull it out." Rico places a hand on her elbow and says, "No! I don't trust anything with Umbrella's name on it." Kim nods and pulls out a pair of tweezers from her ammo pack, "I meant a pair of tweezers, stupid." She digs them into the hole and yanks, hard. Rico screams in pain as the ball flies out, covered in blood and tissue. "You got to rip so hard?!" Kim nods and drops the tweezers, smiling as she pulls out a roll of gauze. "Sit still, or I'll tear it off." Rico straightens up as Kim wraps half of the gauze around his arm, paying careful attention to the bruise coming from his shoulder. "Let me guess, your punctured liver did this?" "Ye... Yeah. Big bruise. Will not heal if I get into another battle with the BOW. Going to need another shot." Kim nods and pulls out a needle and the hemostat liquid. "Alright, get ready, I'm giving you a bigger shot, nearly 50cc. That's getting lethal." Rico nods and Kim injects the liquid into his arm. Rico rubs his arm and sighs, "Just a bit better, but I don't think I can fire the gun that well." Kim picks him up and wraps his right arm around her neck, holding her gun in both hands. "Let's go, Rico." Rico nods and takes his first stumbling step forward, his face becoming flushed with hot blood.

_The new food was not a real fight, they were many, but we were stronger. Now, instead of four, there's six, the new food made sure of that. Now, we just drop new ones as we walk. The food can't escape us now. The Dr. Inman copies growl as a new memory fills their 'minds'... **My new virus is pure genius, I must say again. All of my theories have come true as of late, everyone of them... My latest theory is pure glory and gloating, but I KNOW this is true as well. The theory is this, I think that after the first couple transmutations, the infected will be able to reproduce at will, making chunks of their flesh drop off as needed. The chunks will begin to mold and form into another being, completely identical, with a few minor differences. The body will change slightly, like evolution, sped up seventy generations. I think, that if Umbrella will just take the time to understand my creation, they will see how genius it is.** All six of them howl in rage as the memory fades, releasing them to the reality before them. Food's moving again, they can't get far, one's wounded, the smell of fresh blood radiating from it. The six take one simultaneous step forward and instantly burst into a sudden sprint, closing the distance to the hospital quickly._

"Come on, Rico!!! Don't stop!" Kim tosses Rico into the closest room and unloads three shotgun shells into the beast following them. "Don't just lie there!!! Run!" Rico clambers to his feet and limps past Kim, holding his handgun in one limp hand. Kim hears the click of the shotgun and spins it around, pumping off a grenade as she jumps back into the air, half-twisting as the grenade contacts and explodes, throwing her past Rico like a rag doll. She connects and slides across the tile, her skin squeaking against it. She hits the far wall and screams in slight pain, the bruise on her left side acting up again. Rico limps up to her and says, a slight smile on his face, "Good job. That takes guts, nearly blowing yourself up to save someone else. It's almost selfish." Kim sits up and pulls her jacket off, staring in horror at the bloodstain where the bruise is. "That can't be good, not at all." Rico leans against the wall next to her and slides down it, coming to a stop right next to her. Kim rests her head on his shoulder and says, "Let's find a room with a sturdy door and rest, I can't walk another step." Rico nods and they help each other up. They force themselves up the flight of stairs on their left and open the door marked, 'Clean Room.' 

Rico waves a hand around his face and says, "Oohh, spooky." Kim rolls her tired eyes and they step in, pleased at the absence of all smell, good or bad. Rico steps on a small pad and a computer voice says, "Decontamination beginning, please, wait one moment." A white mist fills the small room and then a light shower soaks them. Rico and Kim walk into the large room and they sit down on a large operating table. Rico stands back up a minute later and staggers over to the closet, opening the doors and shouting, "Man!! A pharmaceutical company can't even keep a clean room stocked!!" Kim lies her head on the table and begins to snore, completely ignoring Rico's comment. He looks back at her and grabs a lab coat off of the small metal chair near the doors. He places it over her torso and says, "Sleep well, I got to find something to help, or we probably won't make it." He walks over to the closets and opens them up, frowning deeper and deeper as he comes up empty. He kicks the last one and growls, keeping his voice down for Kim's sake, "Damn it, it's looking more dreary by the moment. I wonder what's in the desk drawers?" He opens the desk drawer and says, "Bingo!" He opens the bottle of morphine and frowns, "Great, condoms, like these will come in handy." He tosses the bottle aside and digs for something else. "Hmm, it's the box for said condoms, well, look here, I found the morphine." He takes out three pills and swallows them dry. He walks over to Kim and pulls her chin down slightly, dropping in two pills into her mouth. He holds her nose and she gulps them down. He pulls the metal chair over to the table and sits down, laying his head on the clean tool tray. Before long, he's snoozing away with Kim.

"Great, private, release the Grandeur457. Let's see how our dear Dr. Inman copies fair against them." The private nods and types away at the keyboard. He leans his head back and says, "Look out, they don't use doors." Major Heller nods and jumps forward, just as one of the three Granduer457s burst through the wall, sending plaster and metal everywhere. Major Heller smiles and begins laughing, "Hahaha!!! I will see the end of those soldiers and Dr. Inman, every last one of her." Major Heller walks out of the room and turns back to the private at the computer console, "Give them the order to go after the two people in the hospital, AFTER they kill the Inman clones." The private salutes the Major and types away. 'They can't let Dr. Inman escape and kill MY prey. I won't let her.'

_These new food hurt. Their long sharp claws dug into the flesh of the first Dr. Inman, tearing huge chunks of it off. The sixth Dr. Inman roars and slams the tri-whip into the skull of the food, slicing it into four pieces. On replaces it and slashes down the skull of the Dr. Inman that killed its brother. That Dr. Inman falls dead and three more replace it, growing from the chunks of its brain matter and skin. The four food growl and howl as the eight Dr. Inman copies tear them limb from limb, one holding the legs and arm as the other tears the torso off. It's a two-on-one fight as the blood flows across the ground. The eight Dr. Inman copies shriek in glory and chow down on the corpses. The first one to drop the hollow skin of the food walks toward the hospital, soon followed by the others. The main food cannot live. I will have their blood._

"Hey, how you feeling?" Kim smiles and says, "I'm supposed to ask you. Ah, oh well, I feel a lot better, you?" Rico rolls his shoulder and slaps his side, "Ah, a little bit of pain, but I'm good to go, so, let's hit the road." Kim nods and snaps her vest on, replaces the clips in the pockets, and slings her gun over her shoulder. Rico snaps his vest on as well and grabs the handgun. "Yeah, while you were sleeping, I got on that computer and found the name of the handgun. It's a DE50AE7 Desert Eagle, modified to hold thirteen rounds instead of six. Packs a punch, too." Kim rolls her eyes and says, "Nah, really? I had no idea, considering you blew a zombie's head off at thirty meters." Rico mock laughs at her and places a clip in the hook on the back of his left glove. He balls his hand into a fist and says, "Come on, we're heading out." Kim picks the bottle of morphine off of the table and asks, "Where to?" Rico opens the door and says, "We're going back to the basement, but checking every room on the lower floors anything we can use for light. Even a small laser pointer would be enough, but not what we want. Let's get to it." Kim nods and walks out the door, pointing her gun side-to-side before stepping into the hall, leaving the clean room and the dream behind.

'Something's going on with her. I wonder what it is?' Rico points the Desert Eagle behind them and walks forward, keeping one eye behind them and one in front of him. "I got this room, you take the left." Rico replies and steps through the door, grimacing at the faint smell of decay. "Hmm, not a zombie, but a decaying corpse, that means this body has been dead way before Washington D.C. became infected, but how is that possible?!?" He pulls the curtain back and nearly screams at the sight. "No... Amanda.. No." He stares at the form of his sister and grasps at the bloody left hand, clenching it tightly. Tears flow from his face as he whispers, "I'm sorry, I told you to come back to visit. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be alive, well on your way to becoming a veterinarian. It's all my fault." Rico places his forehead on her wrist and sobs loudly, the sound reverberating back, sounding like seven men are crying instead of one. "Ugh....." Rico stands up quickly, shaking his head side-to-side as he says, "No! It can't be!!! You shouldn't, you couldn't, I won't!!!!!" He takes two steps back, not even bothering to reach for the gun tucked in the holster, just backing away, not wanting to face his own sister. Amanda reaches for him, the dried blood being covered up by the fresh gallons of it, never seeming to stop. Rico bangs against the wall as Amanda clasps one bony, dried hand around his vest collar, moaning in approval as Rico sidesteps, failing as the grasp is like a vice, strengthened by lust for flesh and the freedom from emotion. Rico begins to sit down, beginning to feel as though he should join her, but 'Kim! She has to escape!' Rico stands up with new found emotions, leaving his sister in the past as he brings Kim into the present. "Forgive me, for, God, I have sinned." He pulls the Desert Eagle out and places the barrel firmly against her left temple. He closes his eyes and pulls the trigger, crying as the hand on his collar gives, the cold hand sliding down his chest, then finally slapping against the tile. Rico replaces the gun in the holster and solemnly walks out of the door, wishing to forget this whole nightmare, "God, please, if you really do exist, punish Umbrella horribly for this, do that or I'll destroy them myself, with or without your help." Kim runs up to him, her boots squeaking from some unknown liquid on her boots. "What?! What happened?" Rico just looks at her feet and walks past her. "Who was it?" Rico snorts at the question and walks down the stairs, his expression changed from the grim stature to a face of pure hate and anger. Kim watches him disappear down the stairs before following, giving him some time to think.

"Damn it. Damn it all to hell! I'm walking now. I don't care how far or how long it takes, I'm getting out of here." Rico rounds the corner and goes down more stairs, his feet pounding into the concrete steps with the force of anger and sadness. "I don't care about anyone, I never will, ever again." Her voice surprises him, coming out of nowhere, "What about me?" His face deadens as he replies, "I'm sorry, she was my sister, Amanda. She was supposed to graduate from Harvard in two months." He sobs twice and replies, "It's all my fault. If I didn't tell her to come, she'd still be around." Kim places a hand on his shoulder and says, "She probably would've come anyway." Rico looks at her and spurts, "How do you know?" Kim looks him straight in the eyes and says, "Think, she's your sister, she loves you. If I was in her shoes, I would've come anyway." Rico nods and his face lightens into intense focus, "You find anything for light?" Kim nods and holds up a small Maglight, "Yep, you got anything to hold it on my gun with?" Rico nods and hands her the small roll of Duct Tape. Kim takes it and tapes the flashlight around the barrel, turning it on to see if it works. "Hmm, it's dim, but it should work." Rico nods and opens the door to the basement, noting that the thing that was here yesterday is gone. He holds it open and says, "After you." Kim looks at him and steps down the stairs, recoiling slightly as the sound of something breathing fades off. "Don't worry, I got your back." Kim nods and hits bottom, the heel of her right boot scraping the last step. Bats, or something, screech as Rico points the gun toward the opposite wall, or whatever was over there. "I found the hemostat liquid over in that direction. Watch your step, I stubbed my toe on about three things." Rico nods and says, "Ok, I say we head the other direction, maybe we can find something in the middle." Kim replies and walks through the endless cabinets and one single small glass tube, about as big around as a mason jar, but reaches from floor to ceiling. "What the hell is this?" Kim shrugs and walks over to a small computer. "Give me the Desert Eagle, take the gun and search the rest of the room." Rico nods and gives just enough light to find the POWER button. She presses it and the screen and keyboard light up, "Got it, go." Rico nods and walks down the closest cabinet hall. Kim looks down at the monitor and begins to type away, opening files, reading some, deleting some, and making new ones. 

She reaches one file that catches her curious side. "Hmm, Ender? That looks interesting, might as well." Kim clicks the mouse twice and begins reading:

****First report on Ender Virus. . .

This virus is the brainchild of one Dr. Julie Inman. Actually, the work of her father, Dr. Isaac Inman. This virus is outright genius. Unlike the G and T virus, this virus can actually produce thirty BOWs off of one drop. The whole reason is because of the asexual gene found in most bacteria and fungi. This gene allows the virus carrier to reproduce by 'budding'. Each and every generation after the original infection is different. This virus has yet to be tested on humans, as it is still experimental, but the animal tests have proved most successful. The original infections resembled our first BOW, the Tyrant. The next form had a whip-like left arm, but this is just the rats we're talking about. The third generation is slightly different, almost all of their skin is an emerald pebbled. The left arm forms into three whips, instead of one. "Oh no.. We've been fighting Dr. Inman! I hope she's dead for good, but I doubt it." She keeps reading as gunfire erupts to her immediate left. Rico's voice is far off as he replies, "Sorry! Stubbed my toe. Excuse me!" Kim shouts back and continues reading, the next line catching her attention:

After the third generation, the infected can drop off pieces of its own body and identical beings will form from it, this is the last form., as far as we know. There is an endless number of BOWs that can be made from this form, the most we've gotten was one hundred and seventy seven.

"My god." Kim stands up and walks behind the tower, pulls out the hard drive, and steps on it. "Rico!?" "Over here!" Kim walks down the aisle and meets Rico as he pushes a cabinet against the wall, "Here, help me push. It seems stuck." Kim nods and places her shoulder against metal, shoving with all her might. It gives and the cabinet topples over. Rico looks down in the hole and points the gun down the dark hall, illuminating bodies and guns. "Well, shall we dig? Seems like we found half of the other platoon." Kim hands him the Desert Eagle and takes her gun. Rico places the gun in the holster on his shin and takes two steps forward. He stops and listens to the sound of stone grating on stone. "Get back!!" Kim jumps back just as a rock wall slides down, cutting her off from Rico. "Rico!" "I'm ok! Go back up! I'll look around." Kim sighs, "Ok, I'll be back though!" She turns and walks through the room, up the stairs and sits down on the bench. "Man, this sucks. Hey mister, got a light?" She stares at the dead corpse and replies, "Ok, never mind. I'll get one myself." She reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wallet. "Lets find out who you are, shall we?" She flips it open and looks at the credit card, "Well, Senator Evans, how did you end up here?" She picks his license out and says, "What the hell? This says you were born on December seventh, 2021! By this, you're three years old!" She replaces the license and slides the wallet back into pocket, "Rest in peace, Senator." 

She taps his shoulder and stands up. "Well, might as well see what's is in the lounge, hmm?" She walks behind the reception desk and opens the door with the barrel of her gun. The smell of stale coffee and cigarettes fills her nostrils as she sweeps the room, eyeing the dead nurse slumped into the far left corner. "Hmm, hexagonal-shaped, makes this room look bigger than it is." She steps up to the cracked wooden table and taps her nails on it, looking at the coffee-rings on the folders and napkins. She swipes one up and flips it open, "Budget numbers, inventory, busy work. Hello..." She picks the small, round disk from under the paperclip and places it in her pocket. She tosses the folder on the table and picks another up, shooting an eye to the nurses body as a shuffling sound starts and abruptly stops. She shrugs the uneasy feeling off and steps back from the table, just as a hand grasps her shoulder. She gasps and wraps her hands around the arm and flips it over her shoulder. A man, about twenty-one, crashes through the wooden table, landing with a loud thud. "Hey, hey! Easy, I'm friendly!" Kim looks down at him and says, "Really. Why didn't you say anything?" The man stands up and rubs his wrist, "Who are you?" 

Kim stares at him intently and replies, "I could ask you the same thing. My name's Lieutenant Kim Rogers. Third Squad, seventh platoon." The man nods and says, "Name's Steven Sullivan, but everyone calls me Fine." Kim rolls her eyes and says, "Great, another man on a macho rush." Steven sighs and says, "Ok, so you're not dumb. You here alone?" Kim shakes her head and replies, "Kind of, my friend, and superior, Rico, is trapped in the basement, some sort of trap. How have you survived this long?" Steven grins and lifts a big gun she never noticed before, "This baby, an AK-special. Picked it off of a marine I found dead in a small office building on Shiner Street." Kim stares at him, "Did he have a small computer with him?" Steven nods and says, "Yeah! I looked at it, I think his name was Ashton, Crawdad, Crawler, uh..." Kim holds her gun up and says, "The name is Lieutenant Major Ashton Crawford. Everyone in the military knew him, did you even bother to check his pockets for ammo?" Steven shakes his head, "Nah, didn't have enough time, heard footsteps coming my way." "Yeah, that was us. Commander Rico Piker, Lieutenant Kent Slader, and me. You leaving that ammo saved our lives twice." Steven blushes and says, "Ah, is wasn't much. Hey, have you come across something ten feet tall, one long right arm and the left arm has three whips on it?" Kim frowns and says, "Yes, that is what we call a BOW, but I found a name, that beast is Dr. Julie Inman. She's been infected with the Ender Virus."

Steven frowns and says, "Well, now there's eight of them. They were headed this way when a large beast began to attack them. I ran past the fight and wound up here. How long have you been in the city?" Kim looks at the door and says, "Three days. Three, long, terrible days." Steven nods and says, "I've been here since it began. One long ass week." He looks around and stops on the nurse, "Man, this bites ass." Kim stares at the door and says, "Follow me, we're going down to the basement." Steven nods and replies, "Lead the way, Lieutenant." Kim groans annoyingly and walks down the stairs, praying to god he gets at least one cut, wound, anything to set him in his place.

"Great... I get stuck in a room with no light and Kim can escape, but she won't. I know it." Rico places a hand on the rock wall and sighs, "The air is getting thinner. I can't stay in here for much longer." Rico drops to the ground and begins to crawl along the ground. He touches one of the corpses, "Oh, gross, this one's still fresh." He pulls his hand out and slides to the left, hitting the wall. He shoves his right hand forward and hits a gun, clutching it before it could go anywhere. "Ah, is that a flashlight? Oh yeah!" He clutches the switch and turns the light on, the light almost blinding compared to the dark he just got accustomed to. "Now, let's see what they have around here." He flashes the light around and counts the bodies, "Ten bodies, about ten to thirteen guns." He spots the bag underneath three bodies and picks it up, placing the gun on the body to spread light along the small cave. He places the guns into the bag and begins to search the bodies for ammunition. He comes across: thirty clips for the AK-special, four for the modified, seven for the Desert Eagle, weird as it's not standard issue. And last, but not least, three full-leg holsters. "HA! Now, I can hold four handguns and my AK-special." He checks the guns, guessing at what half of them are. "Well, two USPs, another Desert Eagle, two AK-modified. Well hello, what is this?" He holds up the sturdy-looking weapon and takes a first guess, "Sniper Rifle, mayhap?" He places it through the strap of the bag and picks up a small box. "Ammo box? Well, let's take a look, shall we?" Rico opens the box and smiles, "That's great... More ammo for a gun I don't have. Oh wait, yes I do. That's ammo for the USP. Damn." He slides ten clips into the small pockets on the holster belt. "Hmm, good to go. Ah.. One problem, how do I get out?" He looks at the soldiers and smirks, "Thanks, you're a lot of help." He turns around and one of the walls blow open, sending him into the opposite wall. "Damn it! Who the hell?!"

Kim smiles at the remark and snatches the gun from Steven's hands. "Hey! I didn't do nothing!" "I told you, I'd handle it!" "Kim!? Is that you?" "Oh, hey Rico. This is Steven Sullivan. He, 'found' me in the lounge." Rico walks out of the dust and steps up to Steven. Steven smiles and says, "Hello, Rico." Rico touches his nose to Steven's and says, "The name is Commander Piker to you. And, hello Steven." Steven leans back and says, "You've been eating them zombies, haven't you?" Rico growls and looks at Kim, "How have you not shot him yet?" Kim shrugs and says, "I think about things I would really like to kill, and then I think of something other than him." Rico nods and says, "Ok, well, you cross me and I'll shoot you myself." Steven nods and says, but Rico cuts him off, "Not one word, unless it means life or death." Steven nods his head frantically and holds up the gun. Kim smiles and says, "You know how Lt. Major Crawford didn't have his gun..." Rico takes the gun and says, "You took a man's gun, but left the ammo. Are you stupid?" 

Steven shakes his head and looks at the bag, Rico looks at his bag and says, "Ok, you get two guns, and two clips for each. I'm rationing you." Steven nods and takes the bag, pulling out a full-leg holster, a USP, and the sniper rifle. Kim looks down at him and says, "Keep the special. Put the rifle back. Rico, give him three clips for that and one for the USP. He likes to use the shotgun." Rico nods and snatches the bag up, just as Steven reaches for the ammo compartment. "Oh no you don't!" He gives him three clips for the modified and one for the USP. "But.." "Not one word." Steven nods and Rico slides the bag over his shoulder, holding up his gun, "Found more ammo for the Desert Eagle. Here, you take the other one." Kim nods and finishes putting on her holsters. "You got any extra ammo?" Rico nods and hands her six clips, "Make them count." "Of course. I know, but you should tell him, not me." Rico nods and they walk out into the large hall. "Kim, how did you get down here anyway?" Kim smiles and says, "The one place you didn't get to, there was a door, it led into this hall, and here we are." "Hey, guys?" "What Steven?" "Um.. Should that wall be moving?" Rico and Kim duck down and fire at the Licker-Z as it changes colors. "Don't just stand there! Shoot the damn thing!" Steven shakes his head and opens fire, shooting air. "You have to aim! Damn retard." Kim switches triggers and fires two rifle rounds through the tongue, killing it on impact.

_The food has disappeared. Where to? The Dr. Inman copy roars and drops three chunks of its flesh into the ground. Dr. Inman roars as three pop up behind it. They roar and they charge for the hospital, the last known location of the food. Food is ours._

"What the hell was that?" Kim and Rico ignore him and walk down the hall, keeping an eye on Steven. **I hope the BOW kills him, no, I PRAY the BOW kills him. **Rico smiles at the thought and Kim begins to smile as well. **"AH NO! HELP ME!! Dr. Inman tears him limb from limb, each one wanting the same part. I just sit there, sharing a bottle of champagne with Rico. Dr. Inman finishes and I pass her a hundred.** Kim chuckles and looks at Rico, who's also smiling. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" Kim nods and they both laugh. "What's so funny?" "Nothing Steven." "Remember, one more word from your lips and BANG." Steven shuts up and they bask in the silence, for once, they are happy for the silence. "Left. We came right." "But, I thought we were leaving?" "No, Steven said he passed the BOW." "Oh, ok, Steven, this way. HEY! This way!" **I swear, if he makes it out of the city, I'll shoot him. I'll shoot him in the shoulders first, then left knee, and finally, the right knee. And lastly, as he is squabbling before me, I shove the barrel into his left eye and drain the clip. MAN! I HATE HIM! **"Here, this way." Kim's voice distracts his thought as he rounds the corner, coming to a door, which looks strangely familiar. "Guys, I think we have taken a wrong turn." "Um, yeah, I think he's right Rico. There's the Licker-Z over there." Rico growls and turns around, running into Steven's gun. "What the hell?" 

Steven's right eye twitches continuously, "Mine, she's mine! You can't have her!" Kim places a hand on Steven's shoulder and says, "Whoa! It's ok, what are you talking about?" Steven looks at her and smacks her across her left temple with the butt of his gun, "Mine, Rico can't have you, you're mine!" Kim hits the ground hard as Rico brings the ball of his wrist into Steven's chin. He lurches into the air and his head connects with the low ceiling. "What is wrong with you?!" Steven lands, his breath shallow and uneven. "Oops, sorry." Rico picks Kim up and grabs the guns from Steven's body, "Anybody as crazy as him shouldn't hold a weapon. You want them?" Kim rubs the back of her neck and says, "My head hurts like hell, reach into his left pocket, I think he's got a bottle of aspirin." Rico nods and pulls the yellow tube out. "I don't think this is aspirin, looks more like the blood of the BOW." Kim's eyes grow wide as she shouts, "That's Dr. Inman's Ender Virus! The BOW is Dr. Inman, she was infected with that virus. Come to think of it, he kept taken swallows of it... Oh god." 

Rico places the guns and ammo into the bag and pushes her down the hall, "Run!" A low grunt, which grows deeper until it's a prolonged growl, fills the halls as Kim and Rico pound through the dark basement, hitting tables and cabinets. "There! The stairs!" Rico pushes her to the stairs and turns back, watching the silhouette of the door burst open, the form of something tall lumbering through. "My god!" "Rico, come on! Move it!" Rico fires two grenades and spins toward the stairs. He takes one step and a small, wiry tentacle wraps around his neck, lifting him up. "Kim, run, just run." Kim nods and runs up the stairs. The tentacle spins Rico around until he's face-to-face with the beast, "I knew it, hello Steven." 'Steven' growls and opens its mouth further, a skinny, pencil-length tongue slithers out. Rico brings his right knee up, grasping the USP in the holster. He pulls it up and fires two rounds into the shoulders. 'Steven' shrieks in slight pain as Rico fires two more rounds into the knees, the tentacle tightening around his neck. "Ack! Alright, you asked for it." Rico remembers his little 'thought' and shoves the barrel into the left eye, watching as the yellow-black liquid pours from the pierced eye. He pulls the trigger and the effects are instant, the tentacle loosening and Rico falls to the ground. He lands in a crouch and pulls switches the USP for the Desert Eagle. He fires one round into the right ankle and spins his leg around, tripping the weakened beast. He picks up his AK-special and books it up the stairs. "Was that Steven?" Rico nods, "Was and still is, I don't think I killed it." Kim nods and they run through the lobby doors and out into the cold night. A light rain is pouring as a loud roar, followed by three more divert their attention to the roof of the grocery store across the street. "Oh shit."

_The food is here. Walked right to us. It's ours now, nothing can stop us. The four Dr. Inman copies roar and jump down to the ground, sending asphalt and water into the air as they land. The food is ours, but there's something else, another Ender creature. That can't survive. First, it, then the food. The Dr. Inman spawns run past the food and into the hospital, their bodies tearing the wall apart. That creature can't survive. The four wait at the door as it splinters from the force behind it._

**Seems like I get my wish after all, they will tear him apart, I know it. **Kim smiles and walks down the road, being careful not to catch their attention. "I guess what they say is true, 'Your dreams come true when you least expect them.' Aren't you going to watch yours come true?" Kim shrugs and says, "Why bother, I know it's going to happen." A piece of Steven's blue plaid shirt, covered in blood, smacks into her shoulder, "Told you." Rico nods and wraps an arm around her neck, "Got any bright ideas of where to go?" Kim nods and says, "This way, we're not even a mile from the edge of the city." Rico smiles and says, "You're happy he's going to die, aren't you?" Kim looks at him and says, "Are you?" "Ah, alas, I'm really happy he's dead, actually, I'm ecstatic." They both laugh as a zombie clambers from a shadow. Rico keeps his gaze in front of him and fires a round into the skull of the zombie, blowing half the skull off. I think it's almost over." Rico shakes his head and says, "Nothing's ever over."

"The fools! They can't escape! Their death is inevitable!! Their death is inevitable!" Major Heller laughs at his little playmates as they run across the slick streets. "Is the final solution ready?" The woman behind him replies and walks next to him, "Yes sir, the nukes are ready, there will be nothing left of this city. If we're leaving, the time is now, we need to get into New York if we mean to get into minimal safe distance." "I hear you. We leave in seven minutes, that should get us right into the minimum safe distance. We take it all down, Umbrella, the soldiers, the projects, and possibly, the United States of America. All of it with this one blow. One bomb under every seven feet of ground. It's all gone." "Ok, at eight minutes, the lab video warnings will start, two after that, the city's video warnings will start. Ten after that, both audio feeds will begin, twenty after that, the charge countdown will begin. Then, ten after that, BOOM." Major Heller laughs to himself and says, "Fifty minutes till it's all gone. Well, we better get going, the virus sample and I. Sorry, but you'll slow me down." He grabs her surprised head and fires two rounds into her skull. He keeps the grip on her head and slams her face over the ENTER key. **Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington will begin in forty-eight minutes. You have forty-eight minutes to reach minimum safe distance. **Major Heller stares at the message on the screen and walks out into the hall, trying to figure which way to go. "Ah, yes, that way." He laughs at his mind-lapse and charges down the hall, basking in the fact that the soldiers will die.

"Rico!! Look out!!" Rico turns around and the claw of the Licker-Z slices down his arm, tearing a huge chunk of his skin off. Rico screams in pain and drops to the ground, watching the blood just pour from his arm. Kim empties the clip into the face, smiling as one of the rounds pierce the tongue. She runs up to Rico and grimaces at the wound, "Don't move it. It sliced all the way to the bone." Rico groans and nods his head, gritting his teeth until one of them crack. Kim places his Desert Eagle in his hand, "Keep yourself covered, I'm heading into that store, see what I can use for your arm." Rico nods painfully, and says, "Ok, hurry. I'm losing a lot of blood." Kim nods and runs into the store, slamming the door open, the glass cracking. "Hurry."


	5. Four

****

Chapter Four

"My god, this place is huge!" Kim steps down the medicinal aisle when the TV crackles to life behind her. She turns her head toward it, "What the hell?" She brings her body around and walks toward it. She leans around the counter and gasps at the sight. The message is written in a weird font, flashing every three seconds. **Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington will begin in forty-six minutes. You have forty-six minutes to reach minimum safe distance. **"Oh, god. Why is Umbrella doing this?" She reads the message one more time, watching the time change one minute. She turns away and walks down the aisle, eyeing the different bottles of medicine. "Hmm, nothing made by Umbrella, isn't that strange?" She picks up a bottle of pain killer, another bottle of hemostat liquid, a HUGE box of medicinal gauze, and a jug of water. She steps through the door, dropping the supplies as she walks to the spot Rico was once standing. "NO! Rico!?" She bends down at the blood trail and follows it down the road. She walks back to her dropped items and places them into her bag, her face grim and taut. She slings the bag over and begins her slow and grim trek to the city limits, keeping her sight on the tiny blood trail. She tightens her grip on the USP as she lifts it and fires two rounds into the zombie, all without looking up from the trail of dark crimson. She blinks twice and watches as a small drop of rain slides down her cheek, dripping off at the tip of her nose. A single tear follows the same path as the raindrop. "This sucks. This sucks badly."

_This 'Steven' creature is imperfect. It was easily killed, only took two of us. Those two perished, turned to muck, decayed. The Dr. Inman copies roar and drop the cleaned bones. They clatter to the ground as the first one snorts, the smell of fresh blood enters its nostrils. It's the male food. The other one roars and they both run through the hole, out into the wet early morning. That food first, the strong female last. The one in front throws its head to the left and growls. Chemicals... _**They couldn't, they wouldn't. **_Dr. Inman growls at the lapse of the tiny part of her brain that's still intact. The food won't live. Nothing, not even Julie, can stop us._

**The pain in my arm is numb, there, but not nonexistent. Where am I? What is pulling me along the asphalt. I feel my skin tearing against the concrete, but I can't see a thing. All I know is that my body is covered in pain, the thought very disconcerting. I can barely breathe, I can barely.. **"Breathe!" Rico looks around, his eyes instantly adjusting to the light. "Who are you?!" The man turns his head to him, the face reminiscent of a demon. "Major Heller? What are you doing with me?" "Ha ha ha. Don't concern yourself with that, uh, Commander Piker is it? It's all a matter of time, actually, there it is." **_Warning.. Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington is imminent. You have forty-two minutes to reach minimum safe distance. Warning.. Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington is imminent. You have forty-one minutes to reach minimum safe distance. Warning..._** "What do you plan to do with me?" Major Heller laughs, the raspy laugh is craze-stricken, "I was planning on letting you and Lieutenant Rogers walk to your doom, but the infection you got will prove most entertaining on the plane-ride out. I plan on seeing how well Static Heaven does on a human host." "Static Heaven?" "Oh yes, it is the mastered form of the Ender Virus. It turns your brain into static and puts your mind into a state of heavenly bliss." Rico groans and slides his hand over the USP attached to his upper right thigh. "Tell me, is there an antigen?" Major Heller laughs again, the sound striking mild fear in Rico, "Yes, but it's on the plane. Either you come with me, get the antigen, or, you can kill me, save Kim, but end up killing her as Static Heaven takes over. Your decision." Rico smiles and shoves the barrel of the USP right on Major Heller's protruding spine, "Say your last prayer, God won't hear it." He fires once, the round puncturing his body with the sound of a pencil piercing a thick steak. Major Heller grunts several times, the sound then stretching into a gurgling death-spasm. Rico stands to his feet and grabs the keys off his belt-loop. "Mine."

"Where did you go, Rico?" Kim looks down at the thinning trail as the rain picks up, washing the blood away in a small crimson tide. She bursts into a sprint and her steps send small backsplashes of water into the air. **_Warning.. Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington is imminent. You have thirty-eight minutes to reach minimum safe distance. Warning.. Complete Obliteration of Operation Washington is imminent. You have thirty-seven minutes to reach minimum safe distance. Warning..._** "Shut up, just shut the HELL UP!!" Kim aims at the speaker attached to the streetlight and fires, the bulb exploding and the speaker sizzling out. "Ah, the sweet sounds of silence." Kim lowers the Desert Eagle to her side and keeps her pace, the lightning hitting something far off, the loud SHH-KAOW reverberating off of the empty streets. "Damn, I wonder what that hit?" She watches the street ahead of her and spots the body slumped in the street, shaped against the early-morning light. "Rico?!?!?!" She quickens her pace and slides along the asphalt up to the body. "Major Heller?" The body spasms at the mention of his name... "{COUGH} Commander Piker went that way... He.. He's infected..." Major Heller coughs three times in succession and dies, the prolonged breath hissing softly. "Hmm. Well, I guess he's going for the antigen. But where is it? That's the question of the hour, isn't it?" She taps her boot into the asphalt and pushes off, jumping over the cooling body. The message repeats itself, alerting her that three minutes have passed since the last warning. "Great! Shut up!" Kim pounds her feet and pumps her weak arms for speed, each step getting harder and harder to make. "This can't end, it can't end here!"

_Hmm, the female food stopped at the dying food. Maybe they deserve to live, after all, _**They did kill the man responsible for this. They have good intentions after all. **_Dr. Inman roars and kills the other one, which was starting to walk forward. No, they must live. I'm the one who's supposed to die. Dr. Inman nods its tiny head and turns around, walking back into the city, not really understanding the message, but fearing it none the less. It is I that must die. The thought repeats as three Licker-Zs jump onto its shoulders. They can't kill me, I must reach the center of the city. Dr. Inman wraps a tentacle around each of the Licker-Zs tongues, ripping them from the backs of their throats. The three shriek and fall to the ground, their last breathes raspy. No challenge, my only challenge is going to live. _**Good, you can die in peace now. **_Yes, Julie is right. I can die without regrets._

"The plane, that's it. Ok, get it started, go back for Kim, leave. Get it started, leave, go back for Kim, no.. Leave, get the plane started, and go back for Kim. AHH!! No!" Rico bangs the side of his fist into the wall of the plane, becoming frustrated at his lack of focus. He slides the key shakily into the keyhole, turns it, and opens the door, lowering it onto the slick asphalt. He takes a step onto the small stairs and falls forward, feeling awkwardly lightheaded. He places his hand on his forehead and says, "Oh, god forgive me. Ok, up we go." He pushes himself up and climbs into the plane, instantly looking for a case, vial, anything that might hold the antigen. He growls in frustration and sits down in the pilot seat. He slides the large key into the ignition and turns it toward him. The engine turns over and the propeller begins to spin. A golden flash covers his face and he says, "Hello?" He stumbles out of the plane, turning the key as he does so. He grabs the slowly spinning propeller and grasps the golden-colored vial, "Someone likes me. Someone really likes me!" He pops the top off of the vial and chugs the liquid inside. "Hmm, tastes like hone... God Damn It!!" Rico tosses the vial aside and grasps his head in both hands, "Who hides a vial of honey? Honestly?" He turns back toward the city, just as Kim comes running toward him. "Rico!?"

Kim waves her arms and runs up to Rico's slumped body. "Hey? You ok?" Rico groans and holds his gut, buckling over and vomiting onto the asphalt. "Hey, easy, it's ok." Rico looks up at her, a weird fire burning in the depths of his eyes, "Run. Into the plane, go. I'm feeling weird.." "Rico.. Let me help you." He pushes her toward the plane and growls, "No. GO!" Kim nods and jumps into the plane, giving him a couple of looks before she closes the cabin door. "Bye, Rico." She turns the key and pushes the throttle forward, speed-reading the simple instructions pasted on the dashboard. "Alternate the pedals, to move the rudder left and right. Then push the throttle forward, BUT, after I pull the choke. Oh, can't they get anything right!?" Kim rereads the step and follows it, but in reverse order. The plane roars as it catches speed, lifting off of the ground slightly. She throws the throttle forward, the plane lurching up higher. The back of the plane lowers dramatically, "What the hell... Static Heaven.. Oh no Rico!" Kim grasps the Desert Eagle she set in the copilot chair. She grimaces at how wrong this has gone so quickly. "Just ten minutes ago, your face was beaming with the thought of escape. Forgive me." She brings it up and checks the clip, ready for anything, she hopes.

_Something happened with the male food, he's no longer food. _**Think, Ender had a side-virus, what was it? **_Dr. Inman roars and the words barely form, "Static Heaven..." Julie smiles in her mind and Dr. Inman runs back toward the hospital, not really knowing where the male food is._

"No! Rico! Don't!" She fires at his shoulder as he is grasping the wing. The window cracks and the cabin decompresses, the air becoming thinner by the minute. "Won't last much longer." She aims again, targeting his bleeding and shattered shoulder. "Kim! I can't control it!" Kim stumbles back at the voice that is barely filtering over the rush of wind. "Rico?! Tell me! How can I help?!" "Nothing, just go!!" Kim shakes her head, "No! I can't! You'll tear the plane apart!" "Fine! You have to kill me!! It's the only way!" "But.." "No! It's the only way!" Kim nods and aims the gun at his head, "I love you Rico!" "Same here. I love you too! NOW DO IT!" Kim lets her tears run freely and pulls the trigger, crying out in surprise as she misses. A hole appears in the side of the plane and Rico is standing in front of her. "Go! Get out! I can tell what my body wants to do and it isn't pretty." Kim nods and runs back into the cockpit. She pushes the cabin door open and looks at the dirt nearly thirty feet below her. Something pulls the other side of the plane down and she flies back, banging her head against the ceiling controls, rendering her unconscious.

_There. It's the food. "Rico, isn't it?" **"Yes, but I'm not the real Rico. You must be the conscious of Dr. Inman?" **"Yes, the girl lives." **"No. She can't!" **Dr. Inman roars and sends the three whips at the small form of Rico Piker. Rico ducks to the left, nearly having the side of his face ripped off. Dr. Inman brings her right arm up, the long, hooked claws tearing through his chest. Rico screams in pain and says, _"Stop! It hurts!" _Dr. Inman nods and brings her arm up, then throwing it to the left, ripping Rico's head off. "Forgive me." _"I do....." _Dr. Inman smiles and jumps out of the plane, dragging Rico's body with her. I can die without remorse._

"Oh, my head..." Her last few words are lost over the sudden, and loud BOOM floating around the plane. "They destroyed the city? Oh, they've done it now." 'Rico!' She runs into the back of the plane and shrieks at the blood trail leading out of the hole. "Thank you, whoever did this." She looks at the control panel and says, "I'm barely 124 miles from the city, and I have no fuel. Better land, but where?" Kim grasps the controls and gasps as they are locked, a piece of the cabin door jammed into it. "Perfect, just perfect." Kim tosses the Desert Eagle into the pilot seat and sits down, her body numb and tired from the whole experience. Her mind begins to doze, dreaming of black, just sleeping.

**Ten Minutes Before Complete Obliteration. This is it! It all ends here. Let's go! **_Dr. Inman roars and wraps the three whips around Rico's neck, a new head regenerating from his scabbed shoulders. **Nice try, but I think I now have full control of Rico's body. Thank you for killing Rico. **_No! How could I! Well, if I can't kill you, I'll make sure you're here when the bombs begin. _Dr. Inman pulls her left arm back and tears his arms off, new ones sprouting right behind them. _**NO! I can't kill you. _Oh yeah, this is it! _**Rico jumps forward, keeping a mental note of the time left, six minutes. Dr. Inman steps to the left and Rico crashes into the asphalt, sending huge chunks into the air, a few bouncing off of Dr. Inman's rubbery flesh. Dr. Inman roars and slashes upward, her clawed hand cutting Rico into five pieces. She screams in frustration as the five pieces melt away, leaving her to her thoughts, well, Julie's thoughts.** All personnel have one minute, thirty seconds to reach safe distance. Warning, this is not enough time to reach minimum safe distance. Warning, minimum safe distance cannot be reached. Warning minimum safe distance cannot be reached.** _Dr. Inman roars in accomplishment and walks down the cracked street, pleased with the fact that at least one of them will live. She passes the hospital as the first row of bombs set off, the booms shaking the city, causing buildings to crumble and streetlamps to topple over, the bulbs shattering on impact. Dr. Inman smashes her right arm into the glass wall of the grocery store, the pain overcome by the sense of right. _**This is the total accomplishment of my work, this moment. **_A bomb explodes under her, completely evaporating her body. The rest of the city explodes, the shockwave shaking the plane as it clears the Vermont border._


End file.
